I first heard of woodworker/DIY'er extraordinaire Ariele Alasko when her super cool salvaged headboards showed up in my Pinterest feed. After exploring her site, Brooklyn to West, I discovered she also makes salvaged wood dining tables in her signature graphic, mix-and-match style. I think they're stunning, don't you? A little worn and rustic, but completely eye-catching.

Remember this dining room? The map was such a cool touch, particularly paired with that cheery purple table. In the spirit of that, we went looking for other inspirational map-attired dining rooms, and found a few that should ignite your wanderlust. 

Bruce and Melanie's steampunk Victorian home in Sharon, Massachusetts is quite a far cry from the modern, white kitchens we see so much of nowadays. Their 2010 Apartment Therapy House Tour highlighted the couple's passion for antiquing, history, art, and technology, which you can especially see in their kitchen!

We've always been impressed with this beautiful warm and woody IKEA kitchen remodel. Love the look? Want to emulate some of it in your own kitchen? Here are sources to help you get the look. 

A Rich, Warm IKEA Kitchen

Cabinets: IKEA Akurum Adel in medium brown
Cabinet Hardware: VINNA from IKEA
Cooktop: Ceramic Electric cooktop from Eldig 
Countertops: Tan Brown Granite from J&V Stone, Stamford, CT
Flooring: Alcorense in Ara G, 12" x 24" from Nemo Tile
Lighting: Ceiling: Portfolio from Lowes; Under-cabinet: GE Zenon from Home Depot; Small cabinet overhead spots: GRUNDTAL from IKEA.
Microwave: Framtid
Oven: Whirlpool from P.C. Richards
Paint – Walls: "Sweet Annie" from Benjamin Moore
Refrigerator: Nutid counter-depth 
Sink: Main sink - Generic 24" 18 gauge stainless from J&V Stone; Bar sink -  LAGAN sink with HOVSKAR faucet.
Tile: Backsplash tile - Lima Ceramic Tile, Stamford, CT
Trim: Fibra Metal Lev, Listello 1/4"x24" from AKDO

One of my most memorable experiences last summer in Israel was a Friday night dinner at the home of a few local Tel Avivians. I've thought about that evening a great deal since, mostly because it was such a lesson in hospitality. There we were, a traveling group of food writers, invited to eat a homemade dinner prepared especially for us. We were strangers to our hosts, and yet the evening turned out to be an intimate, welcoming affair — all due, I think, to three things, which are also great entertaining ideas for anyone:

When I first saw this chandelier in the virtual pages of Lonny magazine, I chuckled at the side note describing it as "an audacious flourish." That's pretty much what this is: it's not just a chandelier (which we've seen in kitchens before); it's a chandelier in the shape of a large sailing boat, and it completely steals the show.

Molly and Tyler's classic-cool California cottage kitchen — say that five times in a row! — really gives off an easy, breezy vibe. The muted teal wall color (painted "some leftover from I don’t know where," says Molly) pairs perfectly with the minty backsplash. A Saarinen kitchen table and chairs from DWR nestled into the cozy breakfast nook blends in well with this otherwise-all-IKEA kitchen. All in all, this is great color inspiration for those who favor crisp blue-green shades. See more photos below:

Melissa (of home blog The Inspired Room) knew that her kitchen was "certainly not the worst kitchen ever," but she wanted it to feel like her kitchen, not like a generic builder's kitchen. So after three years of living with it as is, she took the plunge and made it her own, focusing on giving it a better layout and a lot more charm. See the 'After' photo below:

When I was on a food tour in Israel last summer, I attended a Sabbath dinner hosted by three young architects/designers. These Friday night dinners with friends were weekly affairs for them, a nod to the tradition of their culture but more about celebrating food and friendship. The dinner was held in a stone-walled courtyard outside their apartment in Tel Aviv, and when we arrived, the first thing we saw was the menu for that night's dinner written in chalk on the courtyard wall!

Frank Novak's Los Angeles home is what you'd describe as "Depression-era modern." You'll find a lot of white, spare surfaces with an almost "hospital aesthetic," as Apartment Therapy wrote. But this is all intentional. "The house inspired me to honor its spirit and bring it back to feeling period correct. All decisions and purchases were made with this goal in mind," Frank says. Some of those purchases include white metal cabinetry in the kitchen and a vintage Western Holly stove. See more photos below: